March 16, 2009
Azerbaijan sees closure of four chicken farms
Poor margins have forced four poultry farms in Azerbaijan to stop their activities, according to an industry official.
Mardakan Broiler, one of the largest poultry farms of Azerbaijan, had closed down alongside Mardakan Poultry, Hovsan Broiler and Goradil Poultry, said chairman of the Republican Poultry Farmers Society Aydin Veliyev.
Veliyev said Mardakan Broiler used to 2,500-3,000 tonnes of chicken but recent financial issues have prevented the company from buying poultry feed and breeding eggs. The company was forced to halt activities due to lack of investment and it is uneconomical to continue activities.
Veliyev said local producers relied on imported poultry feed, and a lack of breeding facilities in the country had increased expenses, which could not be met to import feed and breeding eggs.
If local producers were free from import duties for chicken feed and eggs, they could produce 80,000 tonnes of chicken and 1.35 billion eggs by 2015, according to Veliyev.
